R. M. Rizzo ~Author
Books to enjoy
​THANK YOU FOR THE SHOES
Anniversary Edition
Thank You for the Shoes: Anniversary Edition is a medalist in the Florida Authors and Publishers Association annual awards and earned several five-star rankings in the Readers' Favorites National listings.
A true story that reads like literary fiction. Based on the life of one man, Michelangelo Rizzo, it is an everyman story of an immigrant's journey to America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
It is an inspiring, hope-filled story that also illustrates the harsh realities of immigration, labor, and separation.
Michelangelo (later Mike) was just a baby in Southern Italy when his father died while working on a construction site in America to earn money for his family back home. The poverty in Calabria ensured that he, too, would follow in his father's footsteps and seek a new life in the USA. In 1909, at age 13, he left his home in the mountains of Calabria alone to travel to the "promised land", full of faith, hope, and courage. Once in America, he would find poverty and struggle with a series of seemingly never-ending tragedies. Still, he embraces his new country and its varied cultures. He finds love, happiness, and peace as he sets about doing what all immigrants ultimately dream of: making a better life for their children and future generations.
One reader's Favorite five-star reviewer said, "Thank You for the Shoes is a poignant, beautiful, and at times extremely painful description of the life many immigrants face when they begin again in a new land. It is incredibly timely, especially given the current furor over immigration, to remind ourselves why people make that difficult decision. The author has done a marvelous job of exploring Mike's character and his journey."
The character is an imperfect man who doesn't seek wealth, celebrity, power, or fame. Rather, he does many small things with great love. It was people like him and his fellow immigrants, from many different countries, who became the backbone of the United States. It is a reminder that the USA has always been a nation of immigrants, hoping to become part of this great experiment in prosperity and freedom.
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You can buy a hardcover or a paperback edition at a discount through these buttons
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It's also available in digital versions, as well as hard cover and paperback at: bookshop.org
Also at Barnes & Noble; B&N; and Indie bookstores everywhere.
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WITH NEW MATERIAL, MAPS, GRAPHICS AND PHOTOS
Discussion questions for Book clubs are available for Thank you for the shoes. Simply fill out the contact form and ask for them and you'll receive them within a day.
"This epic narrative of Italian immigrants in America is entertaining and insightful.
Raffaela Marie Rizzo’s Thank You for the Shoess is a realistic portrait of a young man’s quest to make something of himself as an immigrant in the Industrial Revolution–era United States...Overall, Thank You for the Shoes is straightforward and written with integrity. ...entertaining and insightful throughout."--Foreword/Clarion Review
"An affecting tale of an Italian immigrant’s struggle to make a life for himself in the United States...This is a touching, refreshing reminder of how much prosperity can spring from a generous spirit.
A heartwarming amalgam of personal fact, fiction, and history."--Kirkus Review
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Amazon Reviews
Five stars
"Thank you for the shoes was and is the meaning of happiness. Gratitude. The center of this book is a man - a real man. He is strong, kind, determined, loving and most of all, grateful! I will recommend this book over and over. A true story of life and goodness and love." --Must be in heels!
5.0 out of 5 stars-- American immigrant's heroic journey! October 4, 2015
This compelling book, Thank You for the Shoes, spoke right to my heart. It is one American immigrant’s story, against all the odds, to seek a better life.
The same rich offer of America’s better life is what brought my own Italian Grandparents to the shores of Ellis Island in the early 1900’s.
Thank You for the Shoes, is for anyone who has a desire to go deeper into the emotional roots of what might of inspired, not only your ancestors but also those immigrants of today still seeking the same hope and freedom. I invite you to read this remarkable story of an ordinary man who represents the fortitude and character that is woven into the fabric of America
Five stars!!!! Must read!!!!!!!
"Thank you for the Shoes" takes you on the captivating journey of a simple yet complex man, detailing all of the hardships he faced along the way. A constant reminder of how hard our ancestors worked to make a better life for themselves. Must read for anyone whose ancestors emigrated to America during the late 1800s to early 1900s!!
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary
"Thank You for the Shoes" captured my interest from the very first paragraph of the forward. Rizzo writes so succinctly, yet so eloquently that one cannot help but wonder what happens next to the young protagonist, Michele. He is only thirteen in 1909 when he sets out alone and practically penniless from his familiar surroundings in Italy to find the grave of his father in America. I know.... who among us, in this pampered day and age, would have the courage to attempt such a trek! Determination and love of family propel the narrative which reads like a novel but is based on the author's very real experience. Bravo, Raffaela Marie Rizzo, for this extraordinary first book! I can't wait to read more from you.
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you for the Shoes
ByAmazon Customer
Totally inspiring story of a simple man who put his family first and foremost
The Godfrey Street Girls
Coming December 2026
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